Wines From the Fringe: Dettori & Calabretta

The last two sentences on the back label of Dettori wines is one of the coolest statements on the wine in the bottle ever/anywhere. A big F*** You. They don’t care if you like the wine. I so love that, and their wines, it reads: “Sorry, but we don’t follow the market, we produce wines that we like, wines from our culture. They are what they are and not what you want them to be.” I mean, wow. Who says that? That is balls baby. And it takes balls to appreciate Dettori wines. They are different. And you may not like them. I like them, but I like them because they are different.

While Dettori may stand alone on Sardinia as being the maverick producer, Sicily has many who may claim to that title. But one which stands out as utilizing very very traditional techniques is Calabretta. From the slopes of Mount Etna, comes one of the most elegant expressions in Sicily produced from the indigenous grape Nerello Mascalese. Vinified in large Slovenian oak casks for long periods of times, this is classic stuff. Barolo-like comes to mind. Except you can’t get 10 year old Barolo for $25 bucks. As magical as their Rosso is, their Rosato is maybe even more intriguing?